Sunday, 13 December 2015

These are Britain's oldest working Christmas fairy lights - which are so ancient the woman who bought them as a teen has now moved into an old people's home.
Vina Shaddick, 61, got the string of colourful illuminations for her festive tree from Woolworths in 1969.

It came with a spare set of bulbs but she's only had to use one - and they have taken pride of place on her family's Christmas tree ever since.

Glowing brightly on the tree, these colourful fairy lights look like they could have been bought yesterday.

But they were actually purchased on a trip to Woolworths – 45 years ago. Vina Shaddick has displayed them proudly in her living room every Christmas since 1969, and has only had to change one bulb.

Rather mysteriously, she was 65 a year ago but only 61 this year, but this does not detract from the general point.

I also have two strings of Woolies Xmas lights which have been up for at least the last fifteen Decembers and are still going strong.

Unlike Xmas lights from Homebase - I had a couple of sets which lasted maybe five or ten years and then died on me. I bought some this year which lasted precisely one week, but as they only cost a tenner for 160 lights, you have to take that on the chin, I suppose.

There is a simple system for working out which one needs to be changed and so it takes you two minutes to replace a broken one. It's certainly quicker and cheaper than going to the shops two buy a new chain and it's more environmentally friendly (ignoring the gratuitous use of electricity bit).